Tag Archives: spring

Spring has finally arrived! It’s so nice to have more regular warm temperatures and sunshine. I was able to plant some of my garden last week. I put in strawberries this year. Fingers crossed it works out.

The great news with changing seasons is that new fruits and vegetables are in season. You often can spot what is season based on the price at the store. And depending on where you live, that may vary. For example, corn on the cob won’t be ready around me (in Colorado) for months. But fresh corn on the cob was deliciously cheap coming in from California. Thank goodness for different climate areas within the US.

Fruits and Veggies More Matters is a great resource for seeing what is in season and how to cook it. Here are some fruits and veggies they list for “spring”:

Granted you can get most of these all year round. But prices and flavor are usually best when they are in season. Rhubarb in particular is hard to find out of season. Asparagus is much thinner and more tender (and much cheaper) when bought this time of year. So go enjoy some spring produce. My lemon vegetable risotto is one of my favorites this time of year. Happy eating!

One of my nephews will never pick favorites. He doesn’t have a favorite sport, a favorite subject at school, a favorite activity on a vacation, etc. If you ask him, he always says, “I didn’t have a favorite.” Since I’m only asking to kill time and make conversation, it can be rather infuriating. But as I thought about it, I’m not the best at picking favorites either. People always ask what is your favorite dessert, restaurant, food, etc. I need subcategories to really give a good answer.

However, I do think asparagus will always be in my top 5 favorite vegetables. The only problem is it is only super affordable and available for about 1-2 weeks in the spring. We have long since passed that time. Off season asparagus isn’t always as tender, but you can still usually find some. Especially through the late spring/early summer. To me, asparagus makes any meal fancier. I recently tried grilling my asparagus and loved it. Enjoy!

2. Trim about 1-2 inches off the bottom of asparagus to remove tough ends. Thread asparagus spears on to skewers. Thread towards the bottom, where the spears are thicker. Drizzle with oil and vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Preheat grill to medium/medium-high heat. Place skewers of asparagus on to the grill, spears running perpendicular to the grates. Grill 3-5 minutes on each side, flipping when lightly charred. Remove from skewers to serve.

Recipe notes: When looking for asparagus, look for bunches with thinner stalks, as these will be more tender. You can grill the asparagus without putting it on skewers, but I thought the skewers made them easier to handle.

The next few months feature a plethora of fresh fruits and vegetables that are ripe and delicious and affordable like no other time of the year. I love it. There is nothing like asparagus in the spring when it is tender and delicious or tomatoes in the summer when they are juicy and meaty at the same time. However, I’m always in a small quandary with all these vegetables. I love baked pasta and roasted vegetables but hate turning my oven on at all for the next few months.

However, this pasta is completely worth it. And while hearty and filling like all baked pasta should be, it still tastes light, fresh, and springy, which not all baked pasta can achieve. The other great thing about this recipe is that you can mix up the veggies a bit based on what you have or what is in season. Zucchini or summer squashes would mix in deliciously. Asparagus was a nice addition in this batch. This freezes well, if you want to save it for cooler months when you want a reminder of what summer tasted like.

2. Sprinkle eggplant with salt. Let it drain in a colander for 30 minutes. OR Place eggplant on several layers of coffee filters or paper towels. Microwave for 10 minutes, or until beginning to look slightly shriveled.

3. Heat a large frying pan with the 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute eggplant for 8 minutes, stirring pieces occasionally. Transfer them to paper towels to drain.

4. Heat remaining oil in pan. Add carrots, celery, and asparagus. Cook for 3 minutes, then add onion and garlic. Cook 5 more minutes on medium to medium-high heat. to remaining oil and cook for 3 minutes before adding onion and garlic. Cook together for 5 more minutes on medium heat. Stir in the orzo and tomato paste ,and cook for two minutes more. Remove from heat and add eggplant, stock, oregano, lemon zest, pepper, mozzarella, and tomatoes. Mix well.

Recipe Notes: As I mentioned above, mix up the veggies however you like it. And don’t be too scared of adding celery. You don’t taste it in the end. I really like the tomato flavor and the lemon flavor, so I add as much of those as I can. And DON’T precook your orzo. It is a small pasta, so it will cook just fine in the oven. If you can find whole wheat orzo, go for it. My smaller grocery store doesn’t carry it. If you are freezing, freeze it before baking. Then bake in at 350 until cooked through, probably 1 – 1 ½ hours.

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Disclaimer

This blog is meant to provide general nutrition information and healthful recipes. It is not meant to replace the advice of your personal health care provider. Before making any lifestyle change, I recommend consulting with a doctor or a registered dietitian. If you believe you see an error, please contact me. My goal is to help, not confuse.
If you are seeking personal dietary counseling, please contact me via email. I am happy to counsel you via electronic means (or in person if possible) or to assist you in finding a local dietitian, per your preference.